Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-03-03
GIiDO'S TARGET.

/ had accompanied DR. Noirot through
the great gardens surrounding his private
insane asylum. and was proceeding toward
the entrance of his private study. The
celebrated aliCnist was telling me the his
tory of one uf his most remarkable cases
patient We had just passed on our way
through the grounds. and who had saluted
us in an almost patroniZing manner
That mans peculiar mania. - said the
doctor, lis to believe himself "A famous
Parsonage. He thinks he Is the son of
heaven. the sovereign of the whole celes-
tial empire, and there is not a day he does
not hand the keeper enough of dispatches,
confidential letters and diplomatic instrHc-
tioGs for his ambassador, Marquis Tseng
To make a whole volume
just at that moment a sharp report
rang ont few steps away. | caught the
doctors arm and exclaimed:
What's that One of yOur patients
may have done something terrible"
DIR. Noirot only smiled.
''No." he said; don't be afraid. This
is another very curious case; | want You
to see him.
And turning to the left he led the way
toward a little pavilion, concealed from
view behind clump of trees. He unlocked
the door. made me pass through narrow
veStihule: and we found ourselves III a
sort of long court yard. surrounded by high
walls. 4 tall man was standing there,
attired in costume which recalled, i'll
some of its details. the Mexican dress.
The man was standing with his back
against the wall of the pavilion, and as we
entered he lifted his right arm, ,lutching
a loaded pistol. Our advent did not dis
turb him in the least. He took deliberate
aim, with "A perfectly steady hand fol
lowed the direction of his aim. and l saw,
about twenty PAGES away. about a foot
from the further wall, white face with a
black hole in the middle of its forehead.
Ii seemed 10 he, as well as ! could make
out, one of those well known plaster casts
of Greek heads. | thought l could dis
tinguish it as head of Diana the Hunt
reSs.
The pistol went off. The head did not
move: and no splinters or fragments fell
from it,
Look" said the doctor in a whisper
1T is very singular. lie never misses
How
mo; he never misses. Every ball goes
in the same place-right into that little
DldCh none. W llhn ISL any DlH-tT liiiiU Il
five-franc piece
The man had taken another weapon
from his belt He shot The target still
remained intact. The arm was revolver
of the American pattern; the shooter fired
five more balls in succession. Not one of
them seemed to Craze the forehead of the
white face.
The doctor touched the marksman on
the shoulder He turned round. His
face. heavily bearded. had singular ex-
preston of mingled resolution and melan-
choly.
stop for one moment" said the doc
tor. The man nodded his head in consent.
Then the doctor led me To the other end
of the court and showed me, Immediately
behind the plaster head, a black piece of
sheet iron that had been fastened up to
protect the wall In the very middle of
the piece of sheet iron was shining
round spot, with reflections of lead. caused
ny the crushing of the pistol halls against
it,
Now You can see,n he said, as he
pointed out the exact linear correspondence
of the bright spot upon the sheet iron to
the hole in the plaster east ''you can see
for yourself that all the balls pass through
the same hole. You won't lind single
bullet mark anywhere else"
lit is marvellous" / said. "But what
a strange case this must be. -
- Come along" said the doctor, and
III tell you all about it when we get out
side
We again crossed the court yard and
passed tn. veStibule of the pavilion. And
this is what the doctor told me, while he